Claw Hammer Electric BIAB. Anyone use it?

[WithOrWithoutU2]

I'm set up for electric distilling in my basement. Historically, I mash using my pot as a hot water tank, fill up an insulated mash tun and try my best to hold temps. Then I transfer to fermenter and scoop and squeeze to get the rest.

I've never done beers, but I've been seeing a lot of ClawHammer's electric BAIB YouTube Videos. It seems way easier. So what am I missing beside the high cost? But it seems a great solution for step mashing, cooking corn, and even lautering / sparging versus squeezing. It seems to me these videos on beer making get a much better conversion %, so it would be less grain/cleanup to deal with. BUT....I've been wrong before only to find out after the purchase. (I tend to buy too many gadgets for all my hobbies)

So has anyone used an electric BIAB? Anyone use the Clawhammer electric BIAB specifically? Pros, cons? Is it efficient and make the mashing and dealing with spent grains easier? I'd love feedback before spending the $.

[8Ball]

I use:

A 10 gallon heavy duty aluminum stock pot & a 1/2 inch drill mounted overhead to mash in with (on a propane burner stand).

A 10 gallon orange water cooler to ferment on grain with.

A 5 gallon nylon paint strainer bag & a mop bucket to squeeze it off with.

A 5 gallon all copper pot & Liebig to run it with.

Simple. Effective. Easy.

[The Booze Pipe]

I'm set up for electric distilling in my basement. Historically, I mash using my pot as a hot water tank, fill up an insulated mash tun and try my best to hold temps. Then I transfer to fermenter and scoop and squeeze to get the rest.

I've never done beers, but I've been seeing a lot of ClawHammer's electric BAIB YouTube Videos. It seems way easier. So what am I missing beside the high cost? But it seems a great solution for step mashing, cooking corn, and even lautering / sparging versus squeezing. It seems to me these videos on beer making get a much better conversion %, so it would be less grain/cleanup to deal with. BUT....I've been wrong before only to find out after the purchase. (I tend to buy too many gadgets for all my hobbies)

So has anyone used an electric BIAB? Anyone use the Clawhammer electric BIAB specifically? Pros, cons? Is it efficient and make the mashing and dealing with spent grains easier? I'd love feedback before spending the $.

Are you making mostly bourbon, or other things as well like single malt style whiskey?

Most folks are fermenting on the grain for bourbon, including commercial/micro distilleries. I got set up to be able to distill the grain as well. Then squeezing is made easy after all said and done. It's very difficult to sparge corn meal. I've seen people do the brew in a bag thing, but again, I don't know that it works well with corn.

"I've been wrong before only to find out after the purchase. " I swear! If we could avoid that it would save so much time and money... but hey, a guy's gotta learn.

[WithOrWithoutU2]

I'm set up for electric distilling in my basement. Historically, I mash using my pot as a hot water tank, fill up an insulated mash tun and try my best to hold temps. Then I transfer to fermenter and scoop and squeeze to get the rest.

I've never done beers, but I've been seeing a lot of ClawHammer's electric BAIB YouTube Videos. It seems way easier. So what am I missing beside the high cost? But it seems a great solution for step mashing, cooking corn, and even lautering / sparging versus squeezing. It seems to me these videos on beer making get a much better conversion %, so it would be less grain/cleanup to deal with. BUT....I've been wrong before only to find out after the purchase. (I tend to buy too many gadgets for all my hobbies)

So has anyone used an electric BIAB? Anyone use the Clawhammer electric BIAB specifically? Pros, cons? Is it efficient and make the mashing and dealing with spent grains easier? I'd love feedback before spending the $.

Are you making mostly bourbon, or other things as well like single malt style whiskey?

Most folks are fermenting on the grain for bourbon, including commercial/micro distilleries. I got set up to be able to distill the grain as well. Then squeezing is made easy after all said and done. It's very difficult to sparge corn meal. I've seen people do the brew in a bag thing, but again, I don't know that it works well with corn.

"I've been wrong before only to find out after the purchase. " I swear! If we could avoid that it would save so much time and money... but hey, a guy's gotta learn.

I do a little bit of everything. I actually like the processes of making liquor more than drinking. But I really like the idea of being able to dial in the process of a step mash for some of the trickier / stickier grains like rye and oats. I am just not real sure how thick corn mash will do cooking in a basket and electric element, as well as draining . You can still press (versus squeeze) with these stainless steel baskets. I am just not sure how well it will work for a liquor mash versus a beer mash as the grain ratio is less in beers.

[The Booze Pipe]

I'm set up for electric distilling in my basement. Historically, I mash using my pot as a hot water tank, fill up an insulated mash tun and try my best to hold temps. Then I transfer to fermenter and scoop and squeeze to get the rest.

I've never done beers, but I've been seeing a lot of ClawHammer's electric BAIB YouTube Videos. It seems way easier. So what am I missing beside the high cost? But it seems a great solution for step mashing, cooking corn, and even lautering / sparging versus squeezing. It seems to me these videos on beer making get a much better conversion %, so it would be less grain/cleanup to deal with. BUT....I've been wrong before only to find out after the purchase. (I tend to buy too many gadgets for all my hobbies)

So has anyone used an electric BIAB? Anyone use the Clawhammer electric BIAB specifically? Pros, cons? Is it efficient and make the mashing and dealing with spent grains easier? I'd love feedback before spending the $.

Are you making mostly bourbon, or other things as well like single malt style whiskey?

Most folks are fermenting on the grain for bourbon, including commercial/micro distilleries. I got set up to be able to distill the grain as well. Then squeezing is made easy after all said and done. It's very difficult to sparge corn meal. I've seen people do the brew in a bag thing, but again, I don't know that it works well with corn.

"I've been wrong before only to find out after the purchase. " I swear! If we could avoid that it would save so much time and money... but hey, a guy's gotta learn.

I do a little bit of everything. I actually like the processes of making liquor more than drinking. But I really like the idea of being able to dial in the process of a step mash for some of the trickier / stickier grains like rye and oats. I am just not real sure how thick corn mash will do cooking in a basket and electric element, as well as draining . You can still press (versus squeeze) with these stainless steel baskets. I am just not sure how well it will work for a liquor mash versus a beer mash as the grain ratio is less in beers.

I don't have any experience with this equipment you are referring to. But I'm going to guess that it won't work too well with the corn; especially if the heating element is in direct contact. Corn is easy to press (think of a mop wringer,) but its notoriously difficult to sparge, drain, or press vertically (think fruit press). Also, beer brewing is almost all done with cracked barley malt with a few adjuncts, which is much easier to deal with than large amounts of corn or rye. you could try rice hulls.

What size batches are you working with?

I really do like the idea of dialing in a step-mash program though. I suggest doing some more research on this forum, use that Google search bar to help with that. Also, I've been using Grok from X to research some stuff; it's been very convenient.

[Stags]

IMO- corn ground anything smaller than cracked will plug that screen in a few seconds.

I’m going the steamer route for that reason

[WithOrWithoutU2]

I'm set up for electric distilling in my basement. Historically, I mash using my pot as a hot water tank, fill up an insulated mash tun and try my best to hold temps. Then I transfer to fermenter and scoop and squeeze to get the rest.

I've never done beers, but I've been seeing a lot of ClawHammer's electric BAIB YouTube Videos. It seems way easier. So what am I missing beside the high cost? But it seems a great solution for step mashing, cooking corn, and even lautering / sparging versus squeezing. It seems to me these videos on beer making get a much better conversion %, so it would be less grain/cleanup to deal with. BUT....I've been wrong before only to find out after the purchase. (I tend to buy too many gadgets for all my hobbies)

So has anyone used an electric BIAB? Anyone use the Clawhammer electric BIAB specifically? Pros, cons? Is it efficient and make the mashing and dealing with spent grains easier? I'd love feedback before spending the $.

Are you making mostly bourbon, or other things as well like single malt style whiskey?

Most folks are fermenting on the grain for bourbon, including commercial/micro distilleries. I got set up to be able to distill the grain as well. Then squeezing is made easy after all said and done. It's very difficult to sparge corn meal. I've seen people do the brew in a bag thing, but again, I don't know that it works well with corn.

"I've been wrong before only to find out after the purchase. " I swear! If we could avoid that it would save so much time and money... but hey, a guy's gotta learn.

I do a little bit of everything. I actually like the processes of making liquor more than drinking. But I really like the idea of being able to dial in the process of a step mash for some of the trickier / stickier grains like rye and oats. I am just not real sure how thick corn mash will do cooking in a basket and electric element, as well as draining . You can still press (versus squeeze) with these stainless steel baskets. I am just not sure how well it will work for a liquor mash versus a beer mash as the grain ratio is less in beers.

I don't have any experience with this equipment you are referring to. But I'm going to guess that it won't work too well with the corn; especially if the heating element is in direct contact. Corn is easy to press (think of a mop wringer,) but its notoriously difficult to sparge, drain, or press vertically (think fruit press). Also, beer brewing is almost all done with cracked barley malt with a few adjuncts, which is much easier to deal with than large amounts of corn or rye. you could try rice hulls.

What size batches are you working with?

I really do like the idea of dialing in a step-mash program though. I suggest doing some more research on this forum, use that Google search bar to help with that. Also, I've been using Grok from X to research some stuff; it's been very convenient.

In terms of size, I like to run my 16 gallon still, but also will run on 8 gallon at times.

I currently do squeeze. I use the butt press, mop bucket, and even hoist in a BIAB over a big old 20 gallon pot to drain and squeeze. For my set up and area, it just gets messy. If the metal basket allows for adequate draining by pressing from top, it would definitely worth it to me.

I've sent the question to Clawhammer themselves. I've also posted on Still It YouTube as he is using / selling their equipment now on his youtube channel and site. Hopefully they can tell me how much to reasonably expect to make it into a fermenter if starting with a 100% corn (flaked, milled or cracked) 2.2lb corn to 1 gallon water recipe.